Cast Away

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1:58

Cast Away

PG-13

2000

2h 23m

Drama

Adventure

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

156 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Obsessively punctual FedEx executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is en route to an assignment in Malaysia when his plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean during a storm. The sole survivor of the flight, Chuck washes ashore on a deserted island. When his efforts to sail away and contact help fail, Chuck learns how to survive on the island, where he remains for years, accompanied by only his handmade volleyball friend, Wilson. Will Chuck ever return to civilization and reunite with his loved ones?

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Critics Consensus

Flawed but fascinating, Cast Away offers an intelligent script, some of Robert Zemeckis' most mature directing, and a showcase performance from Tom Hanks.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/22/2010

3/5

Tom Hanks' powerful, brutal and mature story.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

06/24/2006

Though Hanks comes across as blandly as ever, at least his solid performance shows he's up to carrying half a movie on his own, and Zemeckis' direction is at first as busily efficient as the protagonist.

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Peter Rainer

New York Magazine/Vulture

09/26/2002

Hanks's Everyman quality has never been more aptly utilized: He's the perfect stand-in for all of us who never made it to Eagle Scout.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 23

7/10

It musters some astonishing sequences of beauty and wonderment; the emotional impact of Noland’s acute solitude is remarkable, especially as he struggles to hang on to the tenuous threads of his own sanity.

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Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird

08/11/2021

Hanks earned a well-deserved best actor Oscar nomination, carrying much of the action without talking to anyone but himself for a Wilson volleyball he finds in a washed-ashore Fed-X box.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

12/22/2020

4/5

Tom Hanks is the perfect actor for the role.

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Ed W

@Guyinthechair 1d

Everyone should see this classic film. Tom Hanks gives a 10/10 performance that will get you on the edge of your seat. Heartwarming story about hope.

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Andrew T

@RT72355796 2d

Definitely a top 50 all time movie and it can never be recreated no matter who tries. Beautiful movie with SPECTACULAR set pieces. There will only ever be 1 Castaway. It is the greatest story of a man marooned on a remote island. It’s been done a few times, but this is the greatest and no others come close or will ever be as great as this! The ending could have been slightly better. It was a little dragged out and is the only thing holding it back from a perfect score for me. 9/10

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Donny F

@CCrusader 3d

Very well written movie and very well produced and directed and of course Tom Hanks does a fantastic job! However the ending was disappointing. I don't think I will watch this again. I feel so bad for the protagonist. I'm not sure I would recommend the movie but if you do see it, enjoy the ride, but don't expect to slam Bang colossal finish.

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Jeff K

@RT32193477 3d

A very enjoyable Tom Hanks movie.

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Nicholas P

@RT88054743 3d

Tom Hanks and a volleyball

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Chris S

@Janomi 4d

Cast Away is an excellent survival drama because Tom Hanks makes Chuck’s isolation feel completely believable. For a huge stretch of the movie, he carries the story almost entirely on his own, showing fear, frustration, loneliness, problem-solving, desperation, and a man slowly being changed by silence. The film is at its best when it simply watches Chuck learn how to survive. Making fire, finding food, managing injuries, using wreckage, and understanding the island all become compelling because Robert Zemeckis treats those details seriously. The quiet, empty space, ocean sounds, and lack of constant music make the island feel lonely and enormous. Wilson is one of the movie’s smartest ideas, giving Chuck’s isolation an emotional outlet that somehow works beautifully. The final act is bittersweet and unresolved, which may frustrate some viewers, but it fits the story. Cast Away is thoughtful, patient, and deeply effective.

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Cast Away: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Obsessively punctual FedEx executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is en route to an assignment in Malaysia when his plane crashes over the Pacific Ocean during a storm. The sole survivor of the flight, Chuck washes ashore on a deserted island. When his efforts to sail away and contact help fail, Chuck learns how to survive on the island, where he remains for years, accompanied by only his handmade volleyball friend, Wilson. Will Chuck ever return to civilization and reunite with his loved ones?

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Steven Boyd, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Tom Hanks
Screenwriter: William Broyles Jr.
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Playtone Productions, DreamWorks SKG, ImageMovers
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Sequences|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $233.6M
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)